The Netherlands' Newest "Accomplishment"

The Netherlands, that country that so bravely pioneered movements such as gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana, seems on the brink of pioneering yet another: the official Islamization of Europe's parliaments.

That, anyway, would seem to be the wish of Tunahan Kuzu and Seleuk Ozturk, the founders of the country's newest political party, which they established only a few days ago after splitting from the Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA), or Labor Party, in a dispute over Dutch Turkish organizations and the Dutch Turkish community at large. Although their party, Group Kuzu/Ozturk, has not yet been entirely defined, its creators describe it in sweeping terms as "the party the Netherlands longs for," aimed at promoting "a society in which everyone is treated equally."

Except that does not seem to be what they actually have in mind.

According to observations of former PvdA colleagues in local media reports, both Ozturk and Kuzu have shown clear antagonism towards women -- even intimidating their female colleagues. More significantly, the two have also held tightly to their Turkish roots and Islamic faith, demanding, among other things, Islamic prayer spaces in the Parliament building -- a clear violation of separation between church and state. (Those demands, it should be noted, were refused.)

And Ozturk, reported the national daily, Telegraaf, has regularly demonstrated a stronger allegiance to Turkey and to Islam than to the secular Dutch state he was elected to represent. On at least one occasion, for instance, he skipped a day of parliamentary voting, and explained his absence only the following day with the casual remark that, "Yesterday was a Muslim holiday."

Ozturk, who defended the Turkish government's violent backlash against protesters during the 2013 Gezi riots, has also demonstrated particularly strong support for Turkey's Islamist President (and former prime minister) Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- again indicating a greater solidarity with Turkey, and its current regime -- than with The Netherlands.

This should probably come as no great surprise: the Dutch parliamentarian also holds ties to the Diyanet, Turkey's office of religious affairs, (which, the Telegraaf reports, also provides funding for most of The Netherlands' Turkish mosques). In fact, it was PvdA Social Affairs minister Lodewijk Asscher's proposal to investigate the Dutch Diyanet connection (along with the activities of other Turkish conservative religious organizations in the Netherlands) that precipitated Ozturk's and Kuzu's defection from the party.

Asscher's concern, in turn, stemmed from recent reports about the problematic integration of Dutch Turks; it indicates the development of a "parallel society" in the community -- a society encouraged by the work of groups such as the Diyanet and others -- most of which seek to strengthen ties between Dutch Turks and Turkey, rather than to encourage integration into Dutch culture. As such, they stand as instruments of Erdogan's outspoken efforts to fight the assimilation of Europeans with Turkish roots into European culture.

Now, it seems, Ozturk and Kuzu plan to go one better: they are providing Dutch Turks with a political party in the Netherlands based largely on the Turkish community and culture, and with conservative Islamic values and mores. And although they were not elected to Parliament as leaders of their new party, because they earned their seats in the Parliament through the PvdA, they are able to keep them -- at least until the next national elections. The first national Muslim party is now a fact.

In many ways, this was inevitable. The PvdA, which is largely considered the "immigration party" with broad support among Dutch Muslims, has been plagued of late by the radical positions of several of its Muslim members. Last summer, for instance, Yasmina Haifi, a PvdA member and employee of the Ministry of Justice, declared ISIS "a Zionist plot." In 2013, former PvdA member Mohammed Talbi founded Rotterdam's local Nida party on the basis, according to the party's website, of "the Islamic spirit within all of us" and the "universal principles of god as expressed by the prophet."

More recently, as political columnist Afshin Ellian points out, the PvdA's Michiel Servaes proposed official recognition of Palestine -- on precisely the day that Palestinian terrorists slaughtered four Jews during morning prayer in Jerusalem.

And even as far back as 2002, the PvdA refused to provide protection for then-member Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who received death threats for her outspoken criticism of Islam and accusations (proven true) of honor killings in the Dutch Muslim community. Hirsi Ali was forced to flee the country, returning only when the competing Party for Freedom and Democracy [VVD] guaranteed her 24-hour bodyguards if she would leave the PvdA for them. She agreed. It was a huge win for the VVD and a strategic loss for the PvdA; but even more, it set out in black and white the priorities of the party whose strategies now seem to have made possible a pro-Islam party within Holland's own national government.

That party is already seeing some success: less than a week after its founding, a November 18 poll found that approximately 77% of Dutch Turkish PvdA voters plan to switch allegiances from the PvdA to Group Kuzu/Ozturk; and among all Dutch Turkish voters, about a third expect to support the party, although most seem to feel that they would like Kuzu and Ozturk to broaden their appeal to all the Dutch, and not just those of Turkish background.

That expansion, however, does not seem to be in their plans. In their first parliamentary vote, the duo has already opposed requirements that foreigners speak Dutch in order to qualify for welfare. Even before leaving the PvdA, their final words to fellow member Ahmed Marcouch, a Dutch-Moroccan known for his rigorous support of integration programs, spoke volumes: "May Allah punish you!" Ozturk said.

Now, only a week later, the pair is finding support not for their programs and proposals (they have none) but for their ethnicity and religion. Already the future of their party -- and its potential power -- suggests a very real threat to the Netherlands, and the course of freedom it has known.

Comment on this item

Name:

Email Address:

Comments:

Email me if someone replies to my comment

Note: Gatestone appreciates your comments. The editors reserve the right not to publish comments containing: incitement to violence, profanity, or broad-brush slurring of any race, ethnic group or religion. Gatestone also reserves the right to edit comments for length, clarity and grammar, or to conform to these guidelines. Commenters' email addresses will not be displayed publicly. Please limit comments to 300 words or less. Longer submissions are unlikely to be published.

19 Reader Comments

Steve • Dec 2, 2014 at 19:58

For those reasonable people who understand, no explanation is necessary, for those without reasonable logic skills, no explanation will help.

Reply->

Ray Burke • Dec 1, 2014 at 22:16

The irrevocable Islamic and Koranic injunction upon all Muslims is to wage relentless war against any non-Muslim nation state that exists within what Islam decrees as the Dar al-Islam (the House of Islam).

Wherever the Muslim foot has trod triumphal in the name of Allah, that territory is considered eternally Islamic land. If it is lost, then it enters the Dar al-Harb (the House of War) and must be retaken and the population either forcibly converted to Islam, forced into dhimmi degradation, or exterminated.

Between this area of warfare and the Muslim dominated part of the world there can be no peace. Practical considerations may induce the Muslim leaders to conclude an armistice, but the obligation to conquer and, if possible, convert never lapses. Nor can territory once under Muslim rule be lawfully yielded to the unbeliever. Legal theory has gone so far as to define as Dar al-Islam any area where at least one Muslim custom is observed.

It is not by chance that much of Europe is slipping and sliding under the orbit of Islamic Sharia law. Vast numbers of Muslim immigrants are being allowed into Europe through slavish adherence to the unholy trinity of political correctness, diversity and multiculturalism. These immigrants - sometimes masquerading as refugees - are the present day Islamic advance guard for the conquest and re-conquest of the European continent and the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, the deafening silence by so-called moderate Muslims in the face of relentless terror inflicted on the world by hate filled Muslimhordes tragically uderlies the fact that there is no moderate and no radical Islam: there is just Islam. The Dutch and other like minded followers are setting themselves up for a deadly Muslim takeover from which they will never recover. I fear the worst !!! we face a worldwide confrontation with Islam !!! Our very survival is at stake !!!

Reply->

Gary • Dec 1, 2014 at 13:36

Goodbye Netherlands, It will be sad to see you go. The Islamists are doing to you what they did to Lebanon. When you flood your country with immigrants that do not share your traditional values, change is inevitable. It's a tactic President Obama (our first anti-American president) is using on America.

Reply->

Joe Berkley • Dec 1, 2014 at 04:27

Many years ago, there was a very famous man called JESUS (a Jew) who said to God, "Forgive them father, for they know not what they do."

Do you or anyone have an answer for an 83 yr old man, I don't hear anything from the religious leaders of the various religions in the world, they seem to be deaf and oblivious as to what is going on.

Reply->

Josh Bloom • Nov 27, 2014 at 23:28

Bring on Geert Wilders

Reply->

Anindya • Nov 27, 2014 at 00:24

Europe is digging its own grave, the Caucasian race has forgotten history, look at us how we Indo-Aryans and Dravidians continue to suffer.

Reply->

Robbert KOP • Nov 26, 2014 at 23:47

Like in Australia, we have seen a sizable to huge influx of migrants from Islamic background into almost every European country. Thousands and thousands of migrants whose culture is vastly different from their, liberal Judeo Christian culture, host countries. Anyone, who ever thought that these migrants would, over the coming decades assimilate, has obviously never looked deeper into the Islamic religion and culture. This religion and culture will never tolerate or accept the aspects of life and culture what is taken for granted. Although the older generation of Islamic migrants might settle in peacefully, the younger generation however will experience social job exclusion due the rules and laws of their religion. And that, as is logical, will be the cause of future clashes and riots as we now see happening in the various European host countries.Those who think that they'll just be able to keep it under control is making a serious mistake.

Reply->

Fred • Nov 26, 2014 at 20:31

It is happening. The Islamists have their own party in Holland Parliament & eventually would enlarge this to get a majority to rule Holland. How brilliant. As the article states it has nothing to do with the state & its law but will become a law onto itself. A Muslim party whose affiliation will not be to Holland but to Turkey's Sultan Erdogan. No doubt there would other European countries where this system of governance would apply. Who needs a war or combat if you can do it by stealth. What next???

Reply->

Concerned Reader • Nov 26, 2014 at 19:04

I'm embarrassed by what the Netherlands is doing. They are not a very good example for the rest of the world. The sad thing is that they are well aware of what is going on, but because they are so divided spiritually, they cannot stand against an attack. IT seems to me that a Muslim party would be counter democracy and not true to the political landscape of this European country. While there has been a tremendous about of immigration, those immigrants have proven they do not want to integrate and adopt their new country's democratic or socialistic style of government, whatever it may be. I don't know why people continue to let such groups even REGISTER as valid political organizations, since by doing so you wander down the slippery slope pretty quick. That said, we know that every country has splinter parties that try to find a niche in the political landscape, but we all know they are ridiculous (e.g. Elephant Party, Rhinoceros Party, etc). It seems common sense is not so common after all.

There are very few TRUE democracies in the world. Even in CAnada there is a disconnect with the voters as the first past the post system stifles creativity and limits a true democracy to flourish.

A country is blessed when they have PEACE and equality for the men and women. I shudder to think if the Netherlands does not firmly put its foot down in the current atmosphere. We look to this country somewhat for setting the course, but they have failed in key areas. We have to stop looking at countries for direction and look to the Creator, our Heavenly God and Father. This will bring some common sense back to the governments. Wisdom... ask for it.

Reply->

Rev Clifford Hall • Nov 26, 2014 at 18:46

May I say that I find the jibe reference to gay marriage and pot unnecessary. You see, unlike the picture presented by Fox (of which station I approve) not everyone is "either a little liberal or else a little conservatIVE' in the Gilbert and Sullivan sense. Some approve of gay marriage but find the idea of the legalization of pot abhorrent. Others the reverse. Free thinkers are exactly that = thinking freely without stereotyping. The one thing we all agree on is the danger of Islamism to civilization as we know it. Why don't we just stick to that?

Reply->

Elmer Borneman • Nov 26, 2014 at 17:07

Instead of bullets and bombs the modern-day Islamic radicals intend to destroy non-Muslim countries from within. With the defection of these two Holland now has a Muslim political party. It may only have two members now but will no doubt win more seats (lots of Muslims in Holland.) If they ever form the government democracy will disappear and the law of the land will be Sharia law and a trip back to the Dark Ages.

Reply->

Newsel • Nov 26, 2014 at 15:42

The Dutch authorities are well aware of what is going on but appear to lack the ganods to do anything about it...epic failure.

Reply->

julea • Nov 26, 2014 at 15:34

My most pertinent question, which I would love an article on, is how do we protect ourselves from being taken over? Most of us do not want to become Muslims or have Sharia but how do we keep it from creeping in?

Reply->

surely • Nov 26, 2014 at 12:40

Political correctness will succeed in the expansion of Islam, while it ignores the threat to democracy. Name a democratic Muslim country - Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Pakistan or Jordan. Wherever Islam is the law of the land no democracy exists. The Koran and Hadiths become the law which contains values antithetical to democracy. The Dutch are playing with fire.

Reply->

SVL • Nov 26, 2014 at 12:21

Hope you're happy, Netherlands. Life as you have always known it is slowly but surely going to change for the worse in one of the most free and most tolerant societies on the planet. It sickens me beyond belief that this country is allowing this destruction happen. WHY?! I will never understand it. Ever.

Reply->

Rutger Vos • Nov 26, 2014 at 11:29

Those guys were kicked out of the PvdA exactly because of their ties to Turkey. For now they can hold on to their seats, but given the amount of preferential votes ("voorkeurstemmen") they received (very few) they would be able to secure less than one whole seat between the two of them. How exactly is this "the islamization of Europe's parliaments"?

Reply->

lc • Nov 26, 2014 at 11:27

If they're so big on all things Turkish, why are they in the Netherlands at all?
Can they explain that?
Why not go back to Turkey.

Reply->

rlandes • Nov 26, 2014 at 11:18

Who, in the 1990s would have imagined such developments?

David Pryce Jones tells of in interview in the early years of the first decade of the 21st cn (aughts) with a reporter from Rotterdam. "Oh," noted he, "by 2020, Rotterdam will be a majority Muslim according to demographic trends." Responded the Dutchman, "So what?" Anyone still saying that?

The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
Both reserve the right not to publish replies to articles should they so choose.
Gatestone Institute is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, Federal Tax ID #454724565.